Top tips on buying the perfect scented candle for your home

Let’s be honest, there certainly is not a shortage for choice when it comes to buying scented candles. You’re spoilt for choice but, how do you know you which one to choose?

Here are our Top Tips for buying a scented candle for your home:

Scent

Floral scents are not just for women. Choosing the scent of your candle is much like choosing a perfume, it is relative to an individual. We all have smells that we prefer and some people are more sensitive to fragrance than others. A good scented candle should realise/disperse its smell evenly over time.

It is important to think about where your candle is going to be situated. For example if you want a scent for the bedroom, you will want something soothing or relaxing, nothing too strong.

Lavender is believed to be a calming fragrance as well as being able to sooth anxiety. It is also proven to relax the body and mind to improve sleep quality.

More recently, it has been said that Jasmine, with its delicate white petals and sweet smell, packs a surprising sleep punch. People that have tested this had an overall better quality sleep and surprisingly, its affects were even more powerful than those of lavender.

Having said that, any fragrance that makes you happy can promote a sense of calm and help promote sleep. When you smell something that brings back a fond memory or makes you feel excited (such as the smell of sunscreen) your body naturally realises good, relaxing chemicals that act as a good set up for a great sleep.

Burn time

The burn time is affected by shape and size, the wax and what position the wick is in. There is no point having a beautifully fragrant candle if it is short lived.

The wick should be kept short, If your wick is long, the flame will be bigger, making the candle burn quicker and if the wick is not central to the candle, your candle will burn unevenly and can cause thick black soot on the glass. It may even result in the glass breaking! See our wick trimmer’s blog.

The longer your candle burns for a) the more you get for your money b) you get to enjoy the fragrance for longer.

Design

Although the main focus of a scented candle is the smell, to some of us, the look or design of what the candle is in, is equally important.

Yes, scented candles help create an atmosphere but when it is not lit, it becomes something of an ornament. Some of our scented candles are presented in a Posy vase which look great lit, or unlit. On the plus side you can re-use the vase after the candle has burnt out.

Space

Think about what room you are buying a scented candle for. For example, a downstairs w/c is much smaller than other rooms in the house. So you wouldn’t want something too over powering in there. Whereas if you was buying a scented candle for a kitchen, then you may want something strongly scented to disguise the smell of cooking etc.

Placing your scented candle in a well ventilated room, or somewhere where there is lots of traffic e.g. your hallway, will help the scent disperse throughout wider areas of your home. This way you will be getting the most out of your scented candle, as well as enjoying the fragrance throughout your house.